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Goodwood Revival

To quote Harry Hogge (played by Robert Duvall) in Days of Thunder, "rubbin, son, is racin'." That can mean some unfortunate damage to high-end racing machinery, which may be repaired easily enough in stock car racing, but when it comes to vintage racing, the stakes can be that much higher. And yet incidents do occur, like at this weekend's Goodwood Revival.

Is there a more iconic, American racecar than the Ford GT40? That may be a discussion for another day (although by all means, tell us how wrong we are in Comments), but this video of heaps of GT40s running in the Goodwood Revival races certainly has us thinking that Ford's Ferrari-killer might just be the best racer the Land Of The Free and Home Of The Brave has ever come up with.

In what presenters describe as the "biggest and best historic motor racing party of the year," the Goodwood Revival features famous cars, famous drivers and a racetrack. Combine the three and you've got a bloody-good weekend. Watching a peerless assortment of vintage racecars go round the track from the grandstands is good fun, but what's it like watching from the drivers' perspectives?

A band of thieves is being blamed for a brazen nighttime theft of 33 historic trophies from the Goodwood estate, where the Festival of Speed and Revival are held. According to the Telegraph, at least four burglars drove up to the Earl Of March's 12,000-acre estate on Monday night in a Range Rover, whereupon they broke a window at the Kennels Clubhouse (above, upper left) and smashed four cabinets to gain access to the trophy collection.

Any motoring enthusiast worth his salt knows and reveres the Goodwood Revival. While the Festival of Speed is exactly what the name states, the Goodwood Revival is an experience unlike any other. More than just vintage racing, nearly everyone in attendance dresses in period-correct clothing, and you are immersed in a different era. Now, if only we could have something like that here in the States.

The Earl of March, the man responsible for the Goodwood Revival, said he's been trying to get all of the Silver Arrows race cars – those of Auto Union, now Audi Tradition, and Mercedes-Benz – to the event for 20 years. This year, the stars aligned. 2012 marked the 75th anniversary of the Silver Arrows arriving in the UK, and there have never been as many of the instantly recognizable winners in one place at the same time. Ten of them, to be specific.

Cobras, Tigers and... Ferrari's? Oh my! If you happened to miss our post on the '60s touring cars that took to the track at the 2011 Goodwood Revival, you may not realize just how amazing vintage racing can be. And it gets even more interesting as the value and historic significance of the cars increases.

It's always a thrill to watch vintage racing, and that's doubly so when the cars are as varied as they are at the Goodwood Revival's 1960s Touring Cars class. In the video after the break, you'll see such classic machinery as the V8-powered Ford Galaxie, 300-horsepower Jaguar Mk II, Lotus Cortina, Mini Cooper (the original, naturally), Alfa Romeo GT and BMW 1600.

Those who love both dogs and sports cars often find that their two passions can't exist together in perfect harmony. A man named Geoffrey Stevens thought differently, and in the 1970s, he decided to build a car that would allow him to prove his point. We're not going to speculate here that drugs were involved in this decision, but it was the '70s after all...

You like Minis? Comedy? All things British? Well mark your calendars for September 18-20, as comedian Rowan Atkinson will be appearing in character as the bungling Mr. Bean during the UK's Goodwood Revival. Not only that, but to celebrate 50 years of Mini, Mr. Bean will be driving his pea-green and black-hooded Issigonis-penned Mini around the Goodwood Motor Circuit each day of the festival – sitting on the roof! Turns out it's a well known Mr. Bean gag. Ahem.

England has seen more than its fair share of crop circles over the years, and the "mysterious" impressions have found their way to Goodwood right in time for its 10th Revival. The crop circles were found in the grass at the West Sussex circuit during final preparations for the Revival, which runs today through Sunday. The Goodwood Revival features vehicles from the 50s and 60s in a retro race, along with period dress and a variety of festivities.

While the auto show season is just beginning to ramp up, the Earl of March has announced the dates for next year's Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival. Those of you with extra frequent flyer miles or a very large couch collecting change can book your tickets now so you'll arrive in time for the festivities beginning on July 11th and running through the 13th. Although a theme hasn't been announced yet, feel free to create your own suggestions box in the comments below.